Grumpa Joe's Place

Well, I survived another day in paradise. My sanity should be in question, as Illinois is far from being a paradise, but since I’ve lived here all my life, I must love it as if it were a paradise. The weather has finally turned into winter, and not one of the pansy winters we have experienced over the past ten years, but a real bona fide winter. The day time temperature has hovered at minus 16 C (for the less scientific part of the world that is 1 F). I like the Fahrenheit number better because it appears to be warmer, but minus sixteen Celcius, and plus one degree Fahrenheit are identical in what we feel. It doesn’t matter, this is not shirt sleeve weather. In fact, it is long underwear weather, along with a knit cap pulled down over the ears and then topped with a hood; hands are gloved. Thermal lined boots are preferred for outdoor activity. Outdoor activity can be likened to wearing an astronaut suit on the moon.

Automobiles take a hit during these times as the wiper blades and door seals all tend to freeze to their surfaces. Tires are stiff, and the ride is bumpy, and the first time one sits on the seat, it feels like a board, and the freezing temperature is convected directly to the ass providing an uncomfortable thrill that is hard to describe. The breath is immediately converted to a cloud that will fog up eyeglasses and the windows as the moisture immediately freezes on the icy cold surfaces.

One thrill of the day is bundling up to walk out to the street to retrieve the mail, which is usually of the junk variety. One thing for sure is that I don’t waste much time with this task. Bringing frozen mail into a warm house is also a treat for Lovely who likes to see what the postman delivered for her.

The low temperature we are experiencing is the result of last week’s snowstorm, which dumped six inches of white stuff into our area. Thankfully, our village provides a street cleaning service, and within a few hours, the street has a path cleared for vehicles. What the village does not provide is a service to clear the snow it pushed off the street onto our driveways. It is the homeowners responsibiity to clear driveways and side walks. The worst of it is the huge pile of snow that the plow deposited onto the entrance to the drive. If not cleared within a few hours of falling, this snow freezes into a mass that will bend a shovel when trying to clear it. Shoveling snow is not fun, but shoveling frozen snow is worse.

This year, I am thankful that my step-grandson lives with us, and I prevailed upon him to do the job. Thank you Lord!

Another joy is watching the color of a car change from whatever color it is into a dirty white as the tires spray wet, slushy snow mixed with salt over all windows and colored surfaces. In years past, before the car companies began rust-proofing car bodies the ice melter of choice was salt. If not washed soon after a snow storm the salt began rusting steel, and car bodies were sporting holes around the perimeter. Thankfully, dipping car bodies in a solution that prevents rust has kept it from forming as quickly as it did in the past. My previous cars were rusted through within seven years in the 1960’s but my current car is 18 years old this year and it does not sport any rust.

Many people see pictures of snowy scenes that give them a fairy-like aura. I am one of those who loves to watch snow falling and covering everything in the yards and fields. The fresh, pure white snow makes everything so pure. After two days the same pure scenery becomes somewhat soiled by the machinery of life. Snowplows, cars, trucks all spread road dirt onto snow covered things and soon they are dull grey, and the purity of it is lost. Even the animals of the wild serve to upset the beauty by leaving their tracks in the unspoiled blanket covering the earth.

When the temperature rises, and the sun shines brightly on the snowy scenes the melting begins leaving large puddles of water along roadsides. Moving vehicles spread this icy water back onto the snow. Walking in these areas is difficult and often dangerous which moves people to walk on the shoveled streets. Crossing from the street to a business walkway means crossing deep piles of mushy snow at the curb. Often the pile is icy and slippery. Walking around town is not a pleasant when conditions are as described.

If this turns into a winter of daily snowfalls, things get more slippery and difficult to negotiate. Streetside piles get higher and deeper, turning the bucolic winter scenery into grotesque scenes that are hard to look at. Yet, we the people who live in this climate are forced to look at the grotesqueness daily for months at a time. It is our burden to bear for wanting to live here. We forget winter quickly as spring arrives and the grey snowpiles have melted and flowed away, and they are replaced by new life coming from the trees, shrubs, and the Earth. We enter the nine months of spring, summer, and fall during which the scenery is fabulous, the temperature more moderate, and life more enjoyable.

Filed under: Biography, Memories | Tagged: below zero temps, snowy weather | 3 Comments »